If you’re an avid Candy Addict® reader, a chocolate aficionado, or just a tad obsessed with Ritter Sport, you’re probably already familiar with the company history. But, for everyone else, here’s a rundown of the past 100 years in Ritter Sport:

• 1912: Alfred Ritter and his wife, Clara, founded a chocolate factory in Bad Cannstatt, Germany.
• 1919: They introduced Alrike, their own chocolate brand, to the market.
• 1930: The company relocated to Waldenbuch.
• 1932: The square bar we know and love today was created. Clara Ritter set out to make a unique chocolate bar—one “that fits into the pocket of every sports jacket, doesn’t break and still weighs the same as a normal long bar of chocolate.” Welcome Ritter’s Sport Chocolate.
• 1952: Founder Alfred Eugen Ritter dies at age 66. His son Alfred Otto Ritter takes over.
• 1959: Founder Clara Ritter dies at age 82.
• 1960: Alfred Otto Ritter decides do away with the production of long chocolate bars, pralines and hollow chocolate figures. Instead, production is focused on the chocolate square, and the Ritter Sport brand is born.
• 1970: Ritter Sport is recognized throughout all of Germany when the country’s first-ever chocolate made with yogurt is introduced by the company and a national TV commercial debuts. Germany is also introduced to the “Quality. Chocolate. Squared.” slogan.
• 1974: Each Ritter Sport bar is assigned a colored packaging.
• 1976: The revolutionary snap-open pack is introduced.
• 1978: A third generation of Ritters takes over the company.
• 1982: The miniature square bar is introduced.
• 1991: The switch is made from composite materials to fully recyclable, single-material packaging made of polypropylene.
• 2002: Ritter Sport begins producing approximately 30% of its own electricity and 70% of its own heating needs.
• 2004: The candy is now available in more than 70 countries.
• 2007: Ritter Sport makes the switch to 100% natural flavorings.
• 2008: An organic line of chocolate bars in introduced.
• 2012: 100th birthday!

Phew, that was a lot of history. But even by just reading these company highlights, it’s evident that Ritter Sport is more than a family of chocolatiers. They’re successful entrepreneurs whose family values, innovative mindset, compassion and environmental interest have set them apart from other candy makers.

Suggested ways to celebrate Ritter Sport’s 100th birthday:

• Eat your way through all the flavors available in your country.
• Visit the award-winning special 100 Years website.
• Buy some for your friends.
• Cook with Ritter Sport.
• Book a trip to Germany so you can try the special anniversary bar (pictured above).

In a league of their own, Ritter Sport has spent the past decade flirting with chocoholics worldwide, titillating our taste buds, wooing us with masterful flavor combinations and colorful, inventive snap-open packaging. Hopefully this decadent German chocolate love affair shall continue for years to come.

• Ritter Sport
• Ritter Sport at Candy Addict®

Amy’s should ring a bell with fans of natural and organic convenience foods, snacks, and pantry staples due to their 25 year run as a wholesome eats purveyor. Right. That Amy’s. Now they’ve extended their higher quality, minimally processed credo to the candy biz, which is a huge plus for lovers of sweet midday nibbles.

When I first got my hands on an Amy’s bar, I literally stumbled upon it among the here-today-gone-tomorrow offerings at a regional natural grocer, and if my futile online search for the very same bar is any indication, I better stock up in person while I can. Despite its health food pedigree, this particular candy isn’t even remotely like the other good-for-you alternatives carried in the same aisle – tree bark covered in mockolate it is most definitely not!

Upon sampling this Dandy Candy Crispy candy bar for the first time, prepare yourself for a most enjoyable, chewy-crunchy-chocolatey sensation. Inside the trippy turquoise wrapper adorned with art nouveau lettering, you’ll find two individually dipped, 100% certified organic bars – that in itself, a rather notable coup.

I followed the package recommendation to share my candy-coated wealth with a loved one and while it did make me feel warm and fuzzy for a few moments, I have a confession to make. If I hadn’t sampled 5 other sugary treats prior to my Amy’s experience, I would have been more than happy to gobble up both bars – which amount to 1.5 ounces total – in one fell swoop.

I know – so selfish! – but let’s face it… good sugar is hard to find. For me, that’s the mark of a really worthwhile candy experience – when that “Hell, yeah!” kicks in and you start plotting how and when you’ll be able to get your next fix. Believe me… this is good stuff.

For a relatively modest 100 calories and 6 grams of fat per generous-sized, dark chocolate covered bar, you get a texturally appealing blend of brown rice crisps, roasted almond bits, and vanilla flavored caramel bound together with what my taste buds identified as a perfectly crowd-pleasing dark/milk chocolate blend. While I wasn’t really able to pick caramel out of the lineup, I didn’t really care because amid the powerhouse team of flavors that Amy’s employed, the result was simply just pure, jaw-exercising, uber-tasty candy satisfaction.

Emulating the mouth feel of Hershey’s Whatchamacallit bar without any of the genetically modified organisms, preservatives, or trans-fats, this healthier candy bar upgrade – sweetened with organic cane sugar and organic brown rice syrup – is chock full of delicious flavor and a slightly salty edge that balances out the sweetness just right.

At an easily justifiable $1.59 per package (on sale), Amy’s organic candy bar is admittedly higher in price than mainstream offerings but no doubt, you won’t regret coughing up the extra coinage. With a sizable list of real, recognizable ingredients – every single one of them organic – the quality is more than apparent and the taste yum to the max.

The moral of the story is that you’ll feel mighty pleased about consuming an Amy’s Organic Andy Dandy Candy Crispy – it’s sort of like a legitimately good tasting, genuine chocolate-dipped energy bar minus the pesky oats and/or throat-gagging protein isolate. Just don’t let that cheat sheet out of your sight. You don’t want this sweet delight to become nothing more than a perpetually unrequited love, do you?

• Amy’s Website

The 143 year old company has achieved the adoration of the masses, not for their gummy candies or candy corns, but for their ever-enduring collection of creatively flavored “gourmet” jelly beans.

As with the majority of their confectionery biz campadres, Jelly Belly wisely rolls out new products every now and again in an effort to successfully pique the interest of short attention spanned sugar junkies like myself.

Not surprisingly, I have gamely sampled everything from their super fruit-boosted, smoothie-inspired and citrusy, Sunkist-inspired assortments to their carbonated soda copycats and much maligned, taste bud taunting Bean Boozled jelly beans.

Compared to the pedestrian, sugar-coated jelly beans that I naively gobbled up in my youth – which were nothing more than glow-in-the-dark colored, highly refined cane globules – Jelly Belly makes consistently palate pleasing, flavorific beans that have become the reliable go-to fix for fans of chewy little nibbleys.

Chocolate Dips, are certainly a happy little addition to Jelly Belly’s candy empire. Unlike their hard-shelled brethren, these particular beans are liberated from their tough exterior and instead plunged into a very thin coating of glossy, dark, confectioners glaze-laden chocolate which makes for a pretty nifty chewing experience.

While the company apparently sells a five-flavor assortment packaged in a 4.15 ounce box (which includes chocolate-dipped coconut, orange, raspberry, strawberry, and cherry jelly beans), I’ve never seen it in person. Instead, I found an abbreviated selection of the chewy cocoa-covered wonders in 2.8 ounce peg bags (in coconut, orange, cherry, and mint) at a local candy haunt – so I snapped up one of each.

Are you now wondering if you should bother seeking these babies out?

First of all, do yourself a solid and avoid Jelly Belly’s Chocolate Dips in “Mint”… that is, if you’re not a fan of what comes off as being a medicine-like candy. You’d think that I was a card-carrying member of the mint-haters club but in addition to drinking several cups of peppermint tea after dinner, I make a habit of using a mint toothpaste and mouthwash combo twice a day, so what gives?

Quite simply, Jelly Belly’s beanologists were so heavy-handed with the breath-freshening flavor that in spite of its glossy dark chocolate robe, their eensie weensie brown bean is flat-out unpleasant and dare I say far too “earthy” for something masquerading as candy. Imagine ripping a 6 inch piece of mint straight out of your garden (with soil still clinging to the roots), shoving the whole piece in your mouth, and masticating for five minutes. Yup… that’s sort of what happened in my mouth. A chlorophyll-dirt explosion. Bleccchhh!

On the other hand, this sinus-clearing flavor would make a mighty fine post-meal freshening agent. Suck on one or two and you’d be good to go, but truth be told, I haven’t yet returned to my barely-touched bag, which methinks is a bad sign overall.

Things aren’t all doom and gloom in the world of Chocolate Dips however, especially with regard to Jelly Belly’s Very Cherry and Orange flavors. Consistency wise, they’re chewy in a fruity pate gel kind of way which made me a happy camper. The longer I allowed the cherry variety to sit on my tongue, the more apparent the stone fruit flavor became, whereas the orange version was consistently bright and full-bodied from beginning to end.

Does the chocolate exterior really enhance the overall experience? The package gives no indication of the actual cacao content, but it matters not. Once you emerge past the confectioners glaze, move through the perfectly palatable thin chocolate layer and into the heart of the juicy, jelly center, all is good in the candy neighborhood. Jelly Belly’s fruit flavored Dips were fun to munch and tasty through and through.

Let’s not neglect the coconut variety – despite my somewhat low expectations, I found it to be a surprising triumph. While some might feel that perhaps a milk chocolate exterior would be better suited to such a lovely little flavor escape, I found its dark coating to be especially well-suited to the oven toasted, macaroon-like interior.

Gourmet sugar junkies may require a bit more motivation before jumping on board the Jelly Belly Chocolate Dips train, but for those seeking a better than average flavor-boosted chew, their beans deliver the goods for a respectable $1.50 per bag.

• Jelly Belly Website

I started with the mint bar, which the package describes as “rich, dark chocolate coupled with mint candies to keep its cool & chocolate cookies to keep its crunch.” I hoped this bar would remind of of Thin Mints cookies. I wanted lots of crunch and lots of mint. But both the mint and the crunch, while definitely present, were more mild than I had expected. The mint actually seemed stronger as an aftertaste, and I didn’t notice the crunch unless I took a big bite. The bar is good, though, even if it wasn’t crammed full of cookies and mint like I thought it might be. I wouldn’t have had any trouble finishing it on the spot, were it not for the three other chocolate bars waiting for my attention.

The packaging on the other dark chocolate bar has this description: “Dark chocolate surrounds a sweetly tart raspberry lemon-flavored truffle filling with biscotti bits added for intrigue.” I felt a little skeptical that I’d really be able to taste all those flavors, but to my delight, I found that I could. Just as promised, the filling is sweetly tart, and the biscotti bits were good and crunchy. This is one tasty chocolate bar – the perfect blend of flavors and textures.

When I opened the milk chocolate crème brûlée truffle bar, I could really smell the caramel. The package reads: “White chocolate truffle infused with vanilla, caramel, & a touch of toffee.” Considering that this bar contains both milk and white chocolate, in addition to the caramel (and toffee!), I figured that it had the potential to be achingly sweet — and phew, my prediction was absolutely right. This is a candy bar to be savored in very small nibbles, unless you have an enormous glass of milk beside you to help clear your throat after each bite. I wished for more buttery, salty toffee to balance the pure sugary sweetness of milk and white chocolate.

Instead, I moved on to the last bar: “creamy peanut butter, pretzel twists & roasted peanuts, inside pure milk chocolate.” This filling doesn’t skimp one bit on the pretzels or the peanuts, and the sweet, rich peanut butter filling that holds it all together stole my heart.

Kudos to Choxie for these chocolates. I consider my $10 well-spent.

• Find Choxie at Target
• Choxie at Candy Addict®

The chocolate bar has been around since 1847. In one form or another, cake has been around since long before then. But in recent years we’ve seen a surge of interest in cupcakes, designer cakes and cake pops. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if someone somehow combined both the candy bar and the cake worlds to prove to all of the naysayers out there that this whole cake fascination is more than a fad? Well, that’s exactly what Ryan Taylor did.

Along with little sister Krystal as baker, cake-loving Ryan began experimenting with recipes that married cake and candy. The result? Cakedy (pronounced cake-uh-dee, for all you word nerds).

The Cakedy website lists three flavors—best-selling Peanutter, RedHead and Choco Chocatus—with a fourth, Red Velvet, currently in the works. (I’m assuming Mint Chocolate is another new flavor.) Each bar is made from cake nougat and candy chips, all coated in a candy shell. RedHead is strawberry cake nougat mixed with strawberry chips, covered in a vanilla shell. The other two are, of course, made with peanut butter and chocolate cake nougat.

I received two Cakedy samples—Mint Chocolate and Peanutter. The first thing I noticed was that the packaging looked semi-professional. I was impressed with the labels and happy to see ingredients on the back. There are no nutrition facts but this is common among independent products, manufactured in small quantities. I did find both packages a bit difficult to open though. But I’m sure that once mass produced this won’t be a problem!

First up, Mint Chocolate. As I sunk my teeth into the outer layer of chocolate and inner pillow of chocolate-mint cake, my first thought was that I was eating something cake-like…perhaps a brownie. The cake center made for a texture unlike other candy bars I’ve eaten. And it was pleasant. The mint flavoring was a bit overpowering though.

Next, I tried Peanutter. I bit into the chocolatey outside and peanut butter-butterscotch middle expecting more of this unique cake texture. But instead I found the texture to be more like that of a peanut butter cup. While the center didn’t resemble cake, it was certainly delightful. I could taste subtle butterscotch in each bite, resulting in a sweet, rich flavor with a hint of a tart aftertaste. Good balance of flavors in this bar.

Editor’s Note: I also received two Cakedy samples… the Peanutter was fabulous and I enjoyed the heck out of it. Sweet, but not too sweet, a great mix of flavors. Delicious! I also tried the Redhead flavor which is described as “strawberry cake nougat mixed with strawberry chips and covered in a vanilla shell”. I wasn’t as fond of this one. The “vanilla shell” tasted like white chocolate (which I have never liked) and the strawberry flavor inside was lacking.

Overall, Cakedy is a great concept and I hope these make it to the rest of the US/world and Minnesota doesn’t hoard Cakedy for themselves. You can order them online though!

• Cakedy Official Site
• Cakedy Facebook
• News and Video Footage

Candy Addict received this product as a sample from the manufacturer. No payment was received for this review and all opinions represent an unbiased view of the product.

For this review, I let my wife try each of them first (by eating half of each bonbon) since she is a mother and is the audience this product is aimed at. I noted her reaction/thoughts, then I tried each. Below is the summary of each flavor.

• Me: liked it. Wife: loved it.

• Me: not bad. Wife: hated it.

• Me: so-so. Wife: hated it.

• Me: liked it. Wife. didn’t like it.

• Me: hated it. Wife: spit it out.

So, as you can tell, we didn’t like this selection at all. At $15.00 a box ($3.00 per bonbon), i cannot recommend these to anyone. If you want to try some Chuao Chocolates (and I definitely think you should), try one some of their other products – we’ve reviewed plenty and liked/loved almost all of them. But… the Breakfast in Bed Collection should be put to sleep… permanently.

If you do want to try some Chuao, you can get 20% off your purchase at http://www.ChuaoChocolatier.com with code MAMA – good til June 30, 2012.

CODE: MAMA

• Chuao Breakfast in Bed Collection
• Chuao Chocolatier
• Other Chuao reviews at Candy Addict®

Candy Addict received this product as a sample from the manufacturer. No payment was received for this review and all opinions represent an unbiased view of the product.

Despite the crystal clear recollection of being cajoled by my uber-health conscious aunt into gnawing on roasted carob pods as a mere pup – and the unholy sensation of sweet yet bitter tannins lingering long after I spit the chewed up tree bark-like bits out into a trash can (yes… I even scraped the residue off of my tongue with a paper napkin, to no avail) – I try to maintain an open mind when it comes to more wholesome treats.

My admitted hatred for the cocoa bean imposter notwithstanding, Oh Yes You Candy! has pulled off a massive lip-smacking coup, one which – not surprisingly – has resulted in them coming soon to the shelves of both Dylan’s Candy Bar and Whole Foods. Their remarkably satisfying, truly flavorful yet undeniably good-for-you Heavenly Bites – available hazelnut-vanilla-chai, mint-lime-sea salt, peanut butter-brown rice, and coconut-almond-sea salt (my personal favorite) – are free of all chemicals, dairy, animal products, and refined sugar.

Each cellophane-wrapped package contains three square, dense truffle morsels made with a combination of grain-sweetened carob chips, organic coconut oil, and (depending on the flavor selection) additional ingredients such as nuts, coconut, spices, brown rice crisps, and organic flavoring oils. Allowing one to melt on your tongue is an exercise in pure mock-choc bliss, made all the more enjoyable by the fact that it’s shockingly absent of all the bad stuff that always seems to make candy so guiltily yummy.

Due to the inclusion of coconut oil (a vegan-friendly, nutrient-rich, yet highly saturated fat) each treat is bestowed with the full bodied texture one might expect of a mainstream, empty calorie offering. That’s good from a mouth-feel standpoint as well as an artery perspective thanks to its high lauric acid content, which is believed to bump up good, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.

Alas, despite the hard-to-fathom deliciousness of Heavenly Bites, a proper serving (one petite little square) clocks in at roughly 75 calories. No one really wants to put a damper on their sweet escape by counting calories, so here’s a ray of sunshine: eating a single eensie weensie portion will actually make you feel incredibly satisfied since the coconut fat molecules will linger on your taste buds long after you’ve tucked the remaining two squares away… um, in your bellll-aaayy, that is! (If it’s any consolation, I could swear that I felt my arteries giving me a high five after I did that.)

Even more notable is the fact that Oh Yes You Candy!’s carob base lacks the much reviled flavor profile and dastardly aftertaste of the unadulterated pod that haunts me and so many others to this day. Plus, the stuff just tastes creamy-rich-decadent-goooooood.

Whether you’re eager to liberate yourself from sugar enslavement or you merely just appreciate surfing the wave of confectionery offerings for something new and exciting, I heartily recommend giving Heavenly Bites a whirl. Indulging just once will inspire you to become a devout carob believer!

• Oh Yes You Candy! Website

While detractors claim that a Ramen-heavy diet can pave the way to a future filled with doctor’s visits, it’s hard to deny the universal appeal of this Asian insta-meal when budgetary concerns and convenient preparation are at the top of your list. Plus, if you’re too lazy to boil water, you can even just eat them straight out of the package for a crunchy salty sensation that will put mere pretzels to shame… or so I’ve heard.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the masterminds behind Komforte Chockolates can relate to this somewhat embarrassing culinary confession all too well given the existence of their 2.5 ounce Savory Ramen chocolate bar. Whether crafted as a nod to the good old days of all nighters and keg parties or created expressly for the tres niche, left-of-center candy lovers market, their wackadoodle offering succeeded in getting my attention.

Upon peeling off the Seattle-based company’s glossy white and vivid pink outer wrapper, I found myself momentarily admiring the compact yet thick 53% dark chocolate bar within. Imprinted with an attractive rippled design, it was easy to see cream-toned flecks of ramen tid bits scattered throughout, especially on the underside.

With a quick flick of my wrist, I snapped a piece off of the bar and then placed it on my tongue so that it could melt slowly. Within two seconds, my taste buds squawked, “What the HELLLL?” but that initial shock quickly subsided when I reviewed the outer wrapper which was entirely forthcoming about its garlic, onion, and soy sauce notes.

When you know what you’re getting yourself into, this admittedly quirky bar is actually half way decent. The onion and garlic are both immediately quite detectable – certainly not the top flavorings you’d think of pairing with an after dinner treat – but still quite palatable in their rich chocolate base.

The longer you allow a piece of Savory Ramen chocolate to melt on your tongue, the more likely you’ll experience a secondary wave of salty soy, which oddly enough is also a-okay. Throw crunchy but easily chewable dehydrated noodles into the mix and the result is a freaky mouth party in which you’ll be continually amused by the fact that you kinda dig this “What-the-flippity-flip?!?!” confection – one that from a literal and sane perspective, anybody in their right mind would probably give the double thumbs down to.

If you choose to crunch your bar (rather than allow it to slowllllly dissolve), you’ll have a far more sedate Komforte Chockolates experience. The ramen flavoring blend won’t be nearly as detectable, and the noodle crunch will be a lot more pronounced, both of which can be a good thing if you’re a candy tasting chicken.

So, who is this bar well suited for? Adventurous foodies, those with a deep affection for the unusual, and anyone who just wants to have a bit of edible fun. The majority of the sugar hounds out there probably wouldn’t keep it in their pile of reliable mainstay confections, but it would be great to have on hand for future dinner parties as a super conversation starter or as a quirky addition to a gift bag.

Treading with caution throughout the journey of life, while soberingly sensible, can result in far too many regrets. Shake things up by trying Komforte Chockolates’ Savory Ramen bar at least once. Whether you love it, hate it, or are rendered entirely puzzled, at least you’ll have another unique experience under your belt and isn’t that what this wacky ride should really be about?

• Komforte Chockolates Website
• Buy Komforte Bars online

Yes, you read that correctly. Promotional company Chocolate Graphics uses a patented process to create edible advertising—QR Codes made from 100% chocolate.

Choose from white, milk or dark chocolate, in 1-inch or 2-inch squares. The chocolate is made by Blommer, which I’ve never eaten. So I can’t tell you how it tastes. But Blommer’s website does state that they’re the largest cocoa bean processor in North America…if that influences your buying decision.

Do you think this is a clever marketing tool you can use to “…step into the future!” as it says on the Chocolate Graphics flyer, or do you think it’s just a sugar-coated blessing (i.e., a foolish way of throwing away your marketing dollars)?

The idea is certainly a matter of opinion. But for all of the candy lovers out there, it seems like a reason for us to all run out to business networking events and exchange “cards,” right? To have someone hand you a chocolate QR Code rather than a boring business card seems wonderful.

And rest assured, Chocolate Graphics also makes plenty of other chocolate promotional items that you can also use to attempt to extend your reach.

Of course, if you’d rather just get a chocolate photo of yourself, the Internet also gives you that ability.

The point of this post? Marketing can be sweet!

• Chocolate Graphics

If we focus exclusively on all of bacon’s nitrates and nitrites, the cured darling of the foodie circuit surely wrecks havoc on one’s innards…but some risks are worth taking on occasion solely for the happiness factor alone. If you are committed to treating your taste buds to something a bit special that is clearly off the beaten path, this is certainly one way to do it.

The bacon trend has admittedly jumped the shark 100 times over – bacon toothpaste and bacon-infused vodka, oh pul-eeeze! – but there are select, venerable companies that have managed to incorporate the perennial breakfast table favorite into their confections with particular success, as has been the case with Vosges Haute-Chocolate’s Mo’s Bacon Bar and Lollyphile’s Maple Bacon Lollipops.

Well, Brooklyn, New York-based Nunu Chocolate also deserves a rousing round of jubilant snorts for their take on this goofy yet enduring pop culture obsession in light of the glossy sophistication of their Bacon Toffee Bar. No, really…they’ve created an utterly refined Audrey Hepburn-like delight that secretly smacks of all of the guilty pop culture pleasure that only Fonzie and his infamous thumbs-up ‘Ayyyy!’ gesture could illicit. This bar is perfectly designed to hoard late at night when no one is looking, and you’ll secretly feel like a royalty while doing it.

Now, close your eyes and envision an ample slab of amber-tinted bacon toffee liberally dipped in a nice thick coating of sustainably produced dark chocolate – this is anything but a Skor bar experience. Upon carefully hacking a mouth-sized chunk off with a knife, allow the morsel to melt as slowly as possible (rather than caving into Tootsie Roll Pop chomping syndrome) and you’ll be privy to two toothsome sensations in one shot.

The initial mouth feel will be what you might expect of a firm artisan-style toffee, promptly giving way to a caramel-like, not too sweet-not too savory chewing experience studded with chewy piggy nuggets that happily linger in the molars for at least a few minutes before you move onto the next bite. With each additional piece you indulge in, you’ll become increasingly hot and bothered until you realize that you’ve polished off the entire bar, forcing you to lick the inside of the wrapper just in case any residual niblets remain.

As sweet treats go, this is one costly affair – a single portion retails for $7.00! – but some of the very best handcrafted edibles in life are well-worth selling one’s dusty old books for. With each bite of Nunu Chocolates’ Bacon Toffee Bar, it becomes apparent that they aren’t messing around. They take their confectionery art incredibly seriously and are obviously committed to selling not only a superior product but a transcendent culinary journey. Consequently, it is with understandable pomp and circumstance that this sublime Bacon Toffee Bar has officially entered the annals of sugar rush history courtesy of our highly coveted CandyAddict.com Awesomely Addictive Candy Award.

• Nunu Chocolates’ Website